Turntable crane



Feb. 25, 1930;

B. F. FITCH ,748,708

TURNTABLE CRANE Filed March 30. 1925 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gin/vanto@ @www IFeb. 25, 1930. A' B, FlTCH 1,748,708

TURNTABLE CRANE.y Filed Mrch 50. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I1/wanton fgmw,/afr U'NiTED-TATES.

,Patentedy lieb. "125,1 Y 1 930 v l PATENT OFFICE BENJAMINF. FITCH, CFennnNWrcn, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNorcToMoToR TERM'INALS' L CoMrANY,.oFWILMTNGTCN, DELAWARE, A ooRroRATioN or DELAWARE v TURNTALE CRANEOriginal application vrleclv MarchfSO, 1925, Serial No. 19,280. lDividedand this applicatonrled vFebruary 4, 1926. serial No.'s5,s77.

This invention embodies a division of. my

f co-.pending application, Serial'No.f19,280,

flledfMarch 30, 1925, and relates to hoisting and conveying apparatus,and is particularly concerned with the provision .of a crane adaptedltotravel on overhead tracks. Such a crane is especially adapted for use ina system'for handling freight wherein freight isv storedin removableautomobile bodies or corn- 'tainers intending 'freight byfsuch a System,ais desirable to adaptthe'apparatus to existing conditions without.requiring extensive" however, that the 'averagefwarehouse or Vfreightstation is not yconstructed:to'receive a standard Vsize 'crane' and toadmit'the con-r .tainerj f Accordingly, extensive altering and Ystrengthen the structures and to render them shoringmustbe resortedY toin vorder to safe for handling loadedy containers by means of anoverhead crane. 'f An additional characteristic frequent in existingstructures is the low headI room, which greatly hinders the use YVinvention is illustrated in the drawings of standard size cranes. v Y Y1 A further'problemwhich arises in the handling offreight by the use of.removable automobile bodies is the dili'culty ofv positioning a motorvehicle at right angles to astation platform. This-difficulty arises byrea-v son of the fact that'the street adjacentv a platform isfrequently'verynarrow and that the motorj vehicles employed forconveying freightfare too long to permit the normal flow of traiiicalong th'estreetif the vehicles are f r40 disposed at right angles totheV platform. In "order, therefore, `to y'permit the' handling of'heavy loaded containers, itisdesirable to use electrically operatedoverheadV cranes-which may raise ya load, turn'it and then transport vitfrom oneplace to another. The sizeand weight of the containers, however,present a serious problem in the designing" of a crane which will havesufficient power toV raise' the load and to permit the turning thereofwithi out making important and extensive changes inthe construction ofthe building. One of the obj ects'of the present invention therefore, isthe provision of a crane which while possessing a minimum depth stillhas suficient power to raise a loaded container in the formof aremovable automobile body,

turn it and-then transport it along anoverhead t'r'aclrway.urtherfobjects are to short'- .i

en materially the span required to support` such an overhead crane, yettofpermit the turning of the load through a complete revolution. A-Tocarry out the above objects, I employ a crane which has a main framemovablel along an g overhead f traclrway. The f main frame carries asupplemental frame which embodies a'turntable Ahaving hoistingVmechanism mounted thereon. To permit the crane to have a minimum depth,the supplemental 'frame is disposed withingplanes which define y theVupper and' lower surfaces of the .main Y frame. v Y

The preferredmeans for vcarrying out my wherein Fig. l is a plan view ofaVcrane em` lines inFig.'1; Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on an. enlargedscale through the craneand on scf a plane'indicated by the line 6 6 inliggfl.V

In Figs. 1- andQ the crane embodying 'my invention is illustrated .assupported upon voverhead trackslOjand 11 which'are carried on columns 12and lrespectively. The crane embodiesa main frame indicated in generalat 15 and a supplemental frame indi'eatedin general at^16 which iscarriedl by the main frame and is arranged to be rotated through acomplete revolution with reference Athereto. Wheels 17 and 18 ournaledin the main frame, are arranged to travel on the tracks and 11respectively. These Wheels as shown are slightly less in diameter thanthe depth of the main frame. The main frame may have longitudinal Webbedbeams 20 which are connected at the ends by transverse Webbed beams 21and 22 respectively. The end members are arranged in pairs so as tosupport the Wheels in a conventional manner.

To support the supplemental frame Within the main frame, l have shovvn aplurality of spaced rollers 25 Which are mounted radially and arearranged to engage 'the underside of the supplemental frame adjacent theperiphery thereof. As shown in Fig. 5, each roller* earrerted ,epee er,inwardly extending bracket conipri'sing horizontally disposed plate 26and an inclined plate 27 which are rigidly secured to the frame Work ofthe man ferr@- i Y, .Thesdrrealeetel frame Sheva embedee e el edlerframe levies e periphery eem: prides. en .inwardly fades Channel-Shapedbeam 30, thelower iiange of which 4 rests upon the rollers 25, yThesupplemental frame4 carriesnhoisting mechanism which preferably in..-

' elu'desa s crea7 and nut couple as illustrated by athreaded Shaft 32and a mit 33- TheHut is arranged to travel along the shaft ivhenevier..the .Shaft His rotated 4he. @Heade-fer lietatlgihe Shdfbie Shown m0@PflltCuldf.- ly in Fia; 3` as embodying eleetre .meter 35 v'vhich drivesa shaft A36 by means of gears 31 and 3.8.-,.-A Werld ethe Shaft 36meshes With a Worm Wheel which is rigidly'securedgtda Ashaft 41. ycoupling 42 indicated in generalin Fig, 1 may thenconnect the shaft 41;;vvithV the threaded shaft 32. ln Fig. 3 thrust bearings ,43, and 44 areshown associated vyith the worm 39. I n I have indicated4 fourloadengaging meinbers such as hooks an'dwl which are adapted to engage,aA load at four points. These hooks are fastened atnthe lovver ends ofcables 55, each of which is attached at one end thereof tothe nut 33,Wherefore the cables are simultaneously,operated to raise or lower aload. Horizontally disposed guide sheaves 56 at one end of the frame,and vertically disposed guide sheaves 57 function to leadv the cablesoutwardly and then downwardly With respect to the supplemental frame.,vy To rotate the supplemental frame With. ref- .erence to the main frame,i have shown the Vsupplemental frame ashaving anuannular rack 60 whichis arranged to be engaged by apinionV 61 'on a v,shaft A motor 63,

,shown more particularly in Fig. 6 may be used for selectively actuatingthe shaft 62 to rotateV th'e supplemental frameV or to rotate one of theWheels 17 for propelling the frame along the overhead traclnvay. n l

. The mechanism illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6 embodies a Worm 65 on thearmature shaft 64 for actuating a Worm Wheel 66 on a shaft 67. Thrustbearings 68 adjacentV the Worm, and thrust bearings 69 adjacent the WormWheel function to absorb Working stresses in the usual manner. One endof the shaft 67 carries one member 70 of a Clutch Which is adapted toengage a coacting member 71 for edecting rotation of shaft 7 2, andthrough the medium of bevel gears 7 3 and 74, for effecting rotation ofthe pinion 61. The opposite end of the shaft 67 is indicated as having aclutch member 75 which is arranged to engage a coacting member 76 forleffecting rotation of shaft 77. Bevel .gears 78 and 79 function totransmit rotation of shaft 77 to shaft 80, While pinions 81 and 82 atopposite ends of the shaft 8O meshivith gears 83 and 84 respectively,for effecting vsirriulta'neolis operation of one traction Wheel 17 andone traction Wheel 18 onthe tracks 10 and 11 respectively.v .Y

To effect movementof the crane' alo, gthe over headtrack\vay1fhavelshpnn a kshipper rod or slide :S5 vvhich isy slidablymounted on abearing block 86 andwhich carries '1"' per levers 87'` and88 respectively. Y A l member 89,1`nay have thel ends thereo attache'dto lthe 'slide and Vmayie'tefid dovvwardl'y so as to be accessiblebeneath the ci? ne. if the operator desires .to movethe frame along theoverhead trackvv'ay, the slide is moved to effect engagement ofthe'clutch members 5 and whereupon a directcofinection is made between thearm'a'ltinfe shaft of the motor 63 and the' traction/.Wheels :0in themain frame. if it is desired to grtate the `supplelnental frame', then.the slide A is moved.A to effect engagementvlbtvve'en 'the clutchmembers 70faiidy71- vvhreiip'onlthe pinion 61 is caused to rotate. Theshipper levers 87 Vand 88 are rigidly mounted ,upon the slide in vsuchmanner thatrvvhen one of the'c'lutches is connected 'with the inotor,lthe other clutch is disconnected from the into'r. Thus thesupplementalframe can be turned onlyivhile the mainframe is stationary,While themain frame can be propelledfalong the traclvvay only whenthesuppleiiiental frame is stationary. g y

The particular advantage of a turn table `crane made in Vaccordance Withiny invention is the small'overall depth coupled yvith adequate capacityfor raising comparatively heavyloads,l 4Moreover the present inventionis 'particularly adapted for use in connection with the handling offreigl'it vvith removable automobile bodies, since the supplementalframe may beprotated With reference lto the main frame, Wherefore theload maybe readily engaged `even though the motor .trueh'is not disposed.in proper aligned position ivith reference to the main frame.

Iclaim: ,l

. 1. In a crane, the combination. main frame comprising side beams andend beams,

ico

isc

rwith reference'to the mainframe.

v which frame.

said beams embodying webbed members,

. v plates extending inwardly from said members at spaced intervals,rollerspositioned on-said plates, a supplemental frame supported on saidrollers so as to be rotated a completeV revolution, andmechanism Vforrotating the supplemental frame with reference Lto the main frame. v f 1Y 2. In a crane, the combination with a main f frame comprising sidebeams andend beams, f

` the end beams having wheels journalled therein for causing the mainframe to-travel along an overhead trackway, spaced members attached tothe top and bottom of said beams and projecting inwardly therefrom,rollers positioned radially on said members, a supplemental'framesupported on the'rollers and arranged to be turned la completerevolution 3. In a crane, the combination with aimain frame adapted totravel upon an overhead trackway, spaced rollers carried-by the main iframe and disposedy radially betweenthe topv 1 and'bottom of the mainframe, a supplemental frame bounded by 'a circular beam supyported uponsaid rollers, means for ,enabling stantially diametrically oppositeside, anut Vslidably mounted on said circular beam, a rotatablediametric screw between the parallel I hereunto aiix my the supplementalframeto be rotated with y reference to the main frame, hoisting.mechanism'carried by the supplemental frame within such bounding beam,said mechanism and ysaid supplemental frame lying between planes f vdefine the top and bottom of the main 4. In a crane, thek combinationwith a main frame, of a supplemental frame mounted thereon and adaptedto be turnedwith refer-.

ence to the main frame, hoisting mechanism including a diametric screwwithin-the supplemental frame, bearings for said screwon oppositer sidesof the frame axis, a nut on said screw, lhorizontal and verticallydisposed sheaves also mounted within the supplemental frame, andflexible load engaging members actuated by'said nut and passing oversaid sheaves.

5.. In a crane,the combinationwith a main r' frame adapted to travelalong a trackway,

krollers mounted radially v upon the, main frame, a supplemental framehaving a circular bounding beam supported'on's'aid rollers AandarrangedtoV be rotated with reference to the main frame, an electricmotorvcarried by the main frame, and means for selectively actuating themotor either to propel'the main frame along the trackway orto turn'thesupf plementalV frame with reference to the main Y frame. f

6. In a crane, the combination ofa main frame adapted to travel on anoverhead track- Y way, radial rollers carried by `the'main'frame,

a supplemental frame bounded by afcircular beam supported on saidrollers, said supple- Vmentalframe having within it two parallel beams0n opposite sides of its axis extending from one sideiof the circularbeam to the sub- BENJAMiN F. FITCH.

